Oshkosh puppies returned to owners after police intervention

OSHKOSH - Puppies at the center of recent social media firestorm have been returned to their owners in Milwaukee, according to the Oshkosh police.

Just before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the department was notified of an animal complaint on Melvin Avenue in the city. A neighbor recorded a video of a 5-year-old girl interacting with some puppies, and had called authorities over concerns for the animals' safety.

According to the department, the 5-year-old's family did not own the puppies, and the department is continuing to work with the family to ensure it has access to needed resources.

The puppies were impounded by authorities and taken to the Oshkosh Area Humane Society, according to a Facebook post by the humane society.

Seven of the puppies were looked at by a veterinarian, who determined that they had no physical injuries. One puppy had already been taken to a new owner in the Milwaukee area, and was observed by the executive director of the humane society with the assistance of technology, and will be taken to a vet separately, according to the department.

An Oshkosh detective has been assigned to continue to investigate the situation, and will work with the humane society, the District Attorney’s Office, the City of Oshkosh Attorney and Human Services.

The video of the girl's interaction with the puppies was posted to Facebook Saturday afternoon, after its poster believed the puppies were released back to the family of the 5-year-old, according to the post. The video accrued more than 370 shares and a litany of comments by Sunday afternoon.

The humane society addressed also the public's concerns on social media Saturday afternoon, in a post on its Facebook page.

"The Oshkosh Police Department made the decision to release the puppies back to their owners," the post said, adding that the humane society had no authority on the decision, the owners had paid "all associated fees," and thanking the public for its concern over the puppies' welfare.

"The Oshkosh Police Department cares about the safety of animals and we continue to do all that we can do within the confines of Wisconsin laws and the City of Oshkosh’s ordinances to ensure that not only these animals are healthy but that we help this 5-year-old’s family with any additional resources that they may need to ensure that this behavior doesn’t happen again," the department said Sunday in a news release.